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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Working Christmas

I was listening to the radio and the guys on the broadcast where talking about Christmas. But I was a bit disappointed when one said, "Here's what I don't get. If you're an atheist or agnostic... You tell people they can't even say Christmas. If you don't like it so much, why don't you tell your boss 'no, I don't want the day off, I want to work'?"

There are so many things about that statement that make me shake my head. First off, I am tired of the insinuation that atheists are all trying to scrub the word 'Christmas' from history and people's lips. Maybe there are some but I, like many, am perfectly fine with people saying 'Christmas'. Hell, I say it and wish people I know are Christians a 'Happy Christmas'.

The biggest problem I've heard was the times atheists fought the use of religious Christmas in public schools (church/state violation) or when the overly conservative fly off the handle just because someone uses a more inclusive 'Happy Holidays' or 'Season's Greetings'. In these examples, it's the Christians being overly sensitive and fussing over nothing.

Then there's the assumption that atheists don't like or celebrate Christmas. The truth is that a great many of us do celebrate Christmas. We just don't celebrate the Christian Christmas. Maybe for us it's about family, the Winter Solstice, or a nod to all the Pagan traditions and celebrations that Christmas is actually derived from.

So no, there is no mystery as to why non-believers don't demand to work on Christmas. In fact the real mystery is how some Christians don't realize that there's a difference between censorship and upholding the law. And that the Christian version of Christmas is far from the only one.

About Me

Greetings!
This blog is a vehicle for response and opinion to the opinions and ideas I hear expressed in my everyday life, as well as in the media and online. By trade, I am a graphic designer. However, I will be writing about topical issues, theology, politics, and anything else that tugs at my interest. Personally, I am an atheist, am interested in science, as well as the arts. Politically, I'm a bit of a mixed bag. I don't like to append labels lightly. But if forced to, I'd most closely fit under the banner of 'progressive'. Hopefully that gives a bit of a flavor as to the topics I will be discussing here.
Cheers!
-BH